Petunia plant named ‘MP205’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘MP205’, characterized by its compact, low mounding and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; numerous small dark red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida .

Cultivar denomination: ‘MP205’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia ×hybrida, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name MP205 .

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create outwardly spreading Petunias withnumerous small flowers with attractive flower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin December, 2001 of a proprietary Petunia×hybrida selection identifedas X01.559.1, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with aproprietary Petunia×hybrida selection identifed as X01.81.1, notpatented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was selected asa single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination bythe Inventor in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales,Australia in October, 2002 .

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings inCobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 2002, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar MP205 have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘MP205’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘MP205’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, low mounding and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching and vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Numerous small dark red purple-colored flowers.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the parentsselections in petal coloration as plants of the female parent selectionhave pink-colored petals and plants of the male parent selection havered-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar RedMP101, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,998. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants ofthe new Petunia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Red MP101in petal coloration as plants of the cultivar Red MP101 had red-coloredpetals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘MP205’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical leaves and flowers of ‘MP205’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercialpractice during the winter and early spring in a polycarbonate-coveredgreenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 21 to 24° C., nighttemperatures ranging from 16 to 18° C., and light levels ranging from5,000 to 9,000 foot candles. Plants were grown for about 14 weeks withone plant per 14-cm container. Plants were pinched once about threeweeks after planting. In the following description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar MP205 .-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identifed as            X01.559.1, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identifed as            X01.81.1, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks at 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three to four            weeks at 22° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially            upright, then low mounding and outwardly spreading; compact.            Vigorous growth habit. Freely basal branching habit with            about five main lateral branches per plant with lateral            branches potentially forming at every node.        -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio            containers and landscape applications.        -   Plant height.—About 13 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 38 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement, before flowering:            Alernate, simple. Arrangement, when flowering: Opposite,            simple. Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape:            Elliptical. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            glandular, viscid; pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate,            arcuate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower            surfaces: 146A. Fully expanded foliage, upper and lower            surfaces: 147A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 147C.            Petiole length: About 4 mm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm.            Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers; flowers            face upward or outward; single, axillary. Freely flowering,            typically about six to eight open flowers per lateral stem.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; spring until            frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during the            flowering period.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About four to five days;            flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Floral, sweet.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 3.8 cm. Tube length: About            2.4 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 8 mm. Tube            diameter, proximal end: About 3 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices Color: 197B            tinted with 77C.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five            petals, fused into flared trumpet with distinct clefts            between petal lobes. Petal lobe length: About 1.7 cm. Petal            lobe width: About 1.8 cm. Petal shape: Obcordate. Petal            apex: Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire; slightly sinuate.            Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny.            Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Slightly brighter            and darker than 77A. Petal, when opening, lower surface:            77A. Petal, fully opened, upper surface: 71A; color becoming            closer to 77B to 77C with development. Petal, fully opened,            lower surface: More gray than 75A. Flower throat (inside):            195B. Flower tube (outside): 194A. Venation, upper petal            surface: 77A. Venation, lower petal surface: 194A. Venation,            throat: 195A. Venation, tube: 195A.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base, star-shaped; slightly recurved. Length: About            9 mm. Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Rounded.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 1.25 mm.            Angle: Almost 90° to the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per            flower; stamens adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape: Ovoid.            Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: 158A. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 155A. Pistils: Quantity: One            per flower. Pistil length: About 1.7 cm. Stigma shape:            Rounded. Stigma color: 144A. Style length: About 1.4 cm.            Style color: 145D. Ovary color: 145A.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from—5 to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘MP205’, asillustrated and described.